Sunday, August 12, 2012

{crochet basics} Half Double Crochet/ Half Treble Crochet

New Stitch time! This one is a bit of a mouth full, half double crochet (US) or half treble crochet (UK)
abbreviated as hdc or htr
EDIT: My stitch tutorials work into the back loop. For more information check out this post

If you have mastered the double/treble than this stitch wont be too difficult, as it starts the same.

It makes a snugglier stitch, prefect if you prefer a tighter stitch for a warmer garment.
I am also starting to talk a little more about pattern abbreviations, mainly because I didn't want to over complicate things earlier.

first up we need the trusty foundation chain. Any length will do to practice. Identify 3rd Chain from hook (sometimes in patterns it might say skip two chains, this is the same thing, just a differnt way of saying it!)

If you have a good memory you might remember that the single/double stitch starts in second chain from hook (skipping one) and the double/treble starts in the 4th chain from hook (skipping three). This stitch now uses that chain in the middle!

Now wrap the yarn over hook from back to front (this is abbreviated as YO in patterns)

and hook through the 3rd chain from hook.

you will have three loops on the hook, just like the double/treble crochet.

YO (wrapping yarn from back to front) and pulling yarn back through first loop on hook (sorry picture is a bit fuzzy, and I had been painting and have paint all over my nail polish!)

Then you have three loops once again. At this point the stitch has been exactly the same as the double/treble. Don't worry if you were!

Then YO and pull the yarn back through all three loops on hook

One loop on hook and the stitch is complete!

Continue down foundation chain, one stitch into each chain.

Here we have a completed row!

Turning chain: 2 Chains.

Turning chain counts as first stitch, so don't crochet back into the base of the turning chain.

Continue to end of row

2 completed rows!

To practice the stitch, continue on making rows, remembering a turning chain of 2!